In Love and War
by arizona4ever
Summary: The Civil War has just started, and Arizona wants nothing more than to help keep this country together. Enlisting the help of her older brother Tim, she sets out to sneak her way in the Union Army. On one of her first assignments as a soldier, she meets Calliope Torres.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Arizona finished getting her dress on and looked in her family's full length mirror. It was a beautiful dress, and she was thankful for her father for buying it for her. It was an elegant baby blue dress that brought out her eyes. The sleeves were short with a ruffled trim around the edges. The neck-line was swooped just above her breasts, showing no cleavage, and there was a bow above her right breast. It was form fitting down to her waist, where it gradually belled out. She hated wearing the hoop skirt underneath, but it really made the dress look better. The blue material slit from the waist and scooped down to the bottom, while white material was layered under. She really loved it, and she couldn't wait to go out and show it off. Her blonde hair was done up in an elegant twist of knots, and she had the most subtle amount of blush on her cheeks.

Tonight, she and her family were going to the Torres estate for a party. Carlos Torres was a southern man, in the state of Florida. Right now, he was currently holding the party in another of his homes in Pennsylvania. He was a very wealthy business man, and he was very much against slavery and was supporting the Union in the war. Because of this, her father, Colonel Daniel Robbins of the Union army, was obligated to go. Mr. Torres was making a large contribution to the Union army, helping them afford weapons, bullets, and other things that are needed in war time.

So tonight, Arizona, her brother Tim, mother Barbara, and father Daniel, were getting ready to go to this socialite event. All the who's who of the military, and supporting wealthy families were going to be there. Arizona really didn't mind. She loved dressing up and going to these parties, especially because there was always someone who was nice to look at.

Arizona blushed as the thought went through her mind. It was something that no one ever talked about or acknowledged, because relationships that Arizona dreamed of didn't happen. She was rather embarrassed, but knew she couldn't help what she felt. Arizona Robbins was not attracted to men. At all. She always got a flutter in her stomach when there was a lovely lady in sight. She didn't know why she felt this way, but she did. Of course, she had already accepted the fact that she would either have to fake it with a man and get married, or become an old spinster who never got married. She knew there was no way she could ever have an actual relationship with a woman...even if she did find another woman who liked her in return.

Besides her brother Tim, it was her best kept secret. Tim helped her when she came to the age where she should've started seeing young gentlemen. He would scare them off, or tell the Colonel something awful about them so that he wouldn't even allow them around Arizona. Arizona was so grateful for her brother. He always insisted that she shouldn't have to fake it. She should be able to love who she wanted. They both knew that the chances of her finding someone were unlikely though and nigh impossible that it would even be remotely accepted.

Sighing, Arizona gave one last glance in the mirror before she headed out the door. Walking down the stairs of her home, she was greeted at the bottom by her brother. Tim was a soldier, and he never cared much about his appearance, but when he had to, he cleaned up nice. Right now, he was wearing a dark, deep blue tail coat and trousers with a white cravat underneath. He smiled at her, showing off his dimples. Arizona and Tim were a year apart, but they looked so similar to each other, that some thought they must be twins.

"Hey sis," Tim said. "You look lovely on this fine evening." He winked at her when she smiled at him.

"You don't look to bad yourself, Timothy," She grinned. She loved her brother very much, and if all went as planned, he was helping her without hesitation again. She walked over and linked her arm in his. "Are Mom and Dad already waiting in the carriage?"

"Of course. You know Colonel Robbins is _never_ late." He smirks, their father was always punctual. It was one of the rules that had been instilled into the two as children. That and being a good man in a storm. They were taught to fight for what was right and to protect the things they loved. To be good men in a storm.

"Well, we should get going; I'd hate to disappoint him."

"After you milady," he said, holding the door open for her. "I'll be there in a minute..."

Arizona smiled and walked out the door to the carriage at the end of the path. She quickened her pace, not wanting to frustrate her father. The driver of the carriage opened the door for her and she climbed in. A couple minutes later and Tim joined the family in the cart.

"You two are just lovely," Barbara gushed. She love her two children, and thought they couldn't get any more beautiful.

"Arizona," the Colonel said, "I hear there are supposed to be quite the number of young bachelors there tonight. And the fact that they're attending this party at all means they come from a well to do family."

Arizona blushes. She hated when her love life was brought up. As much as she strived to do what her father and mother had raised her, she couldn't help that when it came to her love life, she would disappoint them, and she hated to disappoint her father. "Umm...yeah...there probably will be," Arizona responded in a fluster.

"So Dad!" Time spoke up. "Have you heard if there are going to be any more recruits for the army any time soon?"

Arizona smiled gratefully at Tim. She knew he just changed the subject to make her more comfortable.

"Yes. As a matter of fact there is supposed to be a station in Richmond tomorrow," the Colonel smiled. He loved talking military. He and Timothy settled into an easy discussion about the war efforts and how it was going and various other war things.

Arizona smiled, thankful for the distraction. She watched out the window of the carriage. The sun was getting lower in the sky, and Arizona thought it was breath taking. Knowing that there would still about an hour before they arrived at the Torres' home; she leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She let herself drift into an easy sleep at the bounce of the carriage.

What felt like just a few minutes later, Arizona felt the cart come to a stop. She opened her eyes and looked out the window. What she saw made her jaw drop. The house was _huge_! If she could even call it a house. It was three stories tall and had two giant windows on each side of the door, and five just as big windows on the second story. The third floor looked more like an attic area, because of the shillings. The first two floors had giant white pillars all around the house. The sheer size of the house was mind boggling to the blonde.

She could see the first floor rooms were all lit, due to the party going on inside. Arizona and her family exited out of the carriage and started to walk up the path to the front door. Her father knocked firmly on the white painted wood door and stepped back, waiting for an answer. Soon, an older gentleman opened the door.

After hearing their names, the man ushered them inside quickly. The inside looked even bigger. Arizona's eyes widened as she took everything in. There were quite a large number of people milling about, and Arizona wasn't even sure if she would see Mr. Torres or his family. She did not know much about him, but she had heard he had two daughters. She wandered farther into the home, anxious to look around some. She saw a Latino man grasp her father's hand, and thought that that must be Carlos Torres. She smiled and walked further. Then she saw her.

Arizona looked ahead and saw the most breathtaking woman she had ever laid eyes on. She was of Spanish descent, so her skin tone was much tanner than Arizona's pale skin. Her hair was raven black, and was worn in a series of intricate braids on the back of her head. Arizona took in the rest of her body. She was wearing an elegant maroon dress that had a similar neck to Arizona's, stopping just above the beautiful woman's full breasts, much to the disappointment of Arizona. She gulped. This woman had gorgeous curves, and her dress flowed freely around her feet. With a pang of jealousy, she realized that the Latina was not wearing a hoop skirt. How she got away with that, Arizona would love to know.

"See something you like?"

Arizona jumped and spun around. "Oh...Tim. It's you." Arizona said letting out the breath she didn't know she was holding. She smiled and blushed at being caught admiring the woman by her brother. "Ummm...I was.. I was just taking in the house. It's really quite magnificent really.."

"Sure you were," Tim winked at her. "That's Calliope Torres. Carlos' eldest daughter. She's only a couple of months older than you."

"Yeah..." Arizona sighed. "She's beautiful."

Just then, the raven haired beauty looked up and made eye contact with Arizona. Arizona was captivated by the deep brown eyes that bore into her blue ones. She could feel herself blushing, being caught staring at the Latina. However Calliope gave her a wide smile. Feeling her face redden even further, Arizona averted her gaze, not being able to stand looking at the gorgeous creature. She grabbed Tim's arm and they made their way to the punch bowl.

The night went by rather quietly for the next few hours. She caught herself constantly stealing glances at the raven beauty, and occasionally Arizona would make eye contact with Calliope, who always greeted her with a smile. Eventually, after the third time catching the eyes of the woman, Arizona began to smile back. The fourth time, Calliope started to make her way towards Arizona. The blonde's breath started to pick up and she started to panic. How would she be able to remain calm and hold a conversation when this woman took her breath away? As the brunette got closer, Arizona tried to compose herself, and hide how flustered she was.

"Hello," Calliope smiled at her.

"Hh...Hello," Arizona barely managed to squeak out. She mentally kicked her self. _Really? Way to stay calm and collected..._ The blonde thought to herself.

"I'm Calliope Torres, and you are?"

"Oh...Umm I...I I'm Arizona Robbins. Umm Colonel Robbins is my father," The blonde says.

"I see. Are you enjoying yourself tonight?"

"Immensely!" Arizona says, smiling and making her dimples pop.

The two woman continued to hold each other's gazes, and neither one of them could seem to control the blushes that adorned their faces. Just as Arizona opens her mouth, eager to learn more about Calliope, she feels someone at her shoulder. Glancing to her right, she sees her brother.

She gives him a glare for interrupting her, but he ignores it and leans in to whisper in her ear. At what he says, Arizona can't help but squeal in excitement, her smile growing even larger. Arizona looks at her brother, and leans in to whisper back.

Calliope watches the exchange curiously and when the blonde's, she assumes brother, leaves she opens her mouth, about to inquire about Arizona's excitement. But much like when Arizona got ready to speak, Calliope was interrupted by a man at her shoulder.

Arizona frowned at the man. He was short with mousy brown hair, and he seemed to be trying to steal the Latina's attention.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if I could steal you away for a walk in the garden Ms Torres?" The man asks Calliope. Calliope steals a glance at Arizona, who has a look of confusion on her face. Go figure George O'Malley would interrupt her exchange with the fascinating blonde. He has been trying to court her for a couple of months now. Callie like him, he was very polite and always very kind, but there just weren't any sparks. She would much rather try and have a conversation with the intriguing blonde before her. She turns back to George to tell him maybe later, but she somehow gets swept into a small conversation with George, and not wanting to be rude, can't help but put the blonde on hold for a moment. At least until she can get rid of Mr. O'Malley. When she finally finished up the talk with O'Malley, she turned her attention back to the blonde, but she was no longer there. She glanced around, slightly disappointed, and went back to take George up on his offer of a walk.

Arizona watched as Calliope turned back towards the man, and decides now would be a good time to make her exit. She would hate to interrupt a private moment between Ms Torres and the man. She walks away to find her brother. She was anxious to get home anyway. Tim had told her that he had gotten what she needed and put it under her bed before they left to come here. She couldn't wait to get home and get to it.

Arizona spotted Tim and grabbed him by the arm. Luckily, it didn't take long for them to find their parents and even luckier that they too were ready to leave. Arizona couldn't wait to get home. The Robbins family climbed into the coach and settled into their seats for the long ride home. Just as the carriage starts to move, she looks one more time out the window to the giant home. When she does, her heart sinks at the sight she sees. Calliope had just come outside, and much to the blonde's dismay, the mousy haired man was at her side. She sinks a little lower in her seat as she watches them disappear as the cart gets farther away. She couldn't help but think that the brown-eyed beauty was watching the cart leave, but she convinces herself she's just being hopeful, and finally allows her eyes to close. The last thing she thinks of before she falls asleep are Calliopes deep soulful brown eyes staring into her blue ones.

A/N 1: I do not own the Grey's Anatomy characters

A/N 2: If you read this story, tell me what you think! I'd love to hear! I am just writing this for fun because I love Calzona and I love historical fiction. I have some pretty fun ideas for this story, and I hope you like them too!


	2. Knickers and Uniforms

A/N: This is an alternate universe story for Calzona. This is also Historical Fiction. Key word there: Fiction. I am not a historian, and I know I will make a few mistakes as far as authenticity is concerned. Another issue is Arizona's name. I know Arizona (the state) wasn't even an idea during the civil war period, never mind an actual state, or battleship. Therefore, Arizona's name is just her name. There is no story behind it, and though it doesn't fit with the time period, I didn't want to change her name. I'm really bad at summaries, but it would be great if you gave it a chance and tell me what you think!

Also, I do not own any of the Grey's Anatomy's characters.

Chapter 1

_Boys are so lucky! _Arizona thought as she first moved around in her breeches and waistcoat that her brother managed to get for her. He had told her while at the Torres party that Mary had finished the clothes and that they were under her bed. As soon as she got home, she rushed upstairs to put them on. She took in her figure in the mirror, adding a coat to her ensemble. _Not bad...not bad at all. _She did a 360 turn, getting used to the snug pants that allowed her much more motion than the hot and stuffy dresses did. She did a couple of jumping jacks and giggled at the freedom she now enjoyed. She heard a knock on the door and quickly went behind her door.

Opening it just a crack, so that whoever was outside her room wouldn't see what she was wearing, she looked to see matching blue eyes staring back at her.

"Tim!" she squealed, and swung the door open. She launched herself at her brother, enveloping him in a crushing hug. "What do you think?" Arizona asked, taking a step backward and spinning so that her brother could take in her appearance.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say I was looking in a mirror!" he winked at her. "You're not going to have any problems being a soldier now. Although, I would try to keep the giggling at a minimum if I was you" he told her, laughing. "Ow!" Rubbing his arm where his sister just punched him, he shot her a glare.

"But you really think I can get away with it!?" She had to know. She didn't really want to pretend to be a man. In fact, she was quite feminine (though she did enjoy the freedom pants allowed). Sure, the dresses she had to wear weighed a lot, and God, those corsets made it hard to breath sometimes, but there was no denying that they looked beautiful, especially on other women. Tim was the only one who knew her secret. It was something that was almost unheard of, and when it was, it was not taken well.

"I know it. You look just like me...and I am definitely a man. Besides, we already have it planned out that you will be my cousin. That will explain why we practically look like twins," he smiled at her. "But you should probably get ready for bed and get a good night sleep. Tomorrow, you become a soldier to help keep this country together."

She grinned widely at him, her dimples popping. Arizona couldn't wait to fight for the United States. Her father had always been in the military, and a strong supporter of the Union. She grew up learning about the beauty of this land, and when it came time to keep the land and its people as one, she wanted to help. The problem was that she was a woman. So she enlisted the help of her brother, who was 20 and only a year older than her, to help her sneak into the militia.

Tim was very hesitant at first. He loved his sister very much, and they were very close; he wouldn't be able to handle it if something were to happen to her. However, because he grew up in the same house as her, and he himself wanted to help keep this beautiful country whole, he understood why it was so important for her. So he got Mary, the girl he was courting to hem and adjust some of his clothes to fit Arizona.

He looked at her, and really did think she would be able to pass off as a young man. He returned her smile, matching dimples and all. He leaned in and kissed her forehead. "Just promise me you'll be careful, and stick with me as much as you can."

She looked him in his blue eyes, and taking the sudden serious tone to heart, replied honestly, "I promise."

And with that, they parted ways for the night, leaving Arizona to change into her night shirt. She folded up the breeches and shirt and waistcoat and placed it back under her bed. All she needed now was a hat, and Tim had told her he would get her one tomorrow. She sighed. She really was tired, and tomorrow, and the days after, would no doubt be much longer. She crawled into her bed and shut her eyes. Tomorrow, she would fight for what she believed. Tomorrow, she would be a soldier.

As Arizona lay in bed, her mind wandered to earlier that evening, and the gorgeous figure of one Calliope Torres entered her mind. She really was a sight to behold. Arizona knew that if given the chance, she could get lost in the raven haired beauty's chocolate brown eyes. She replayed the night in her head, and frowned when she remembered the mousy man. She wondered who he was to Calliope. A friend? A courter? Dare she think it...Fiancé? Arizona scowled at that thought, though she knew she had no right to be jealous. It's not like anything could ever happen between them anyway. As she started to drift off, she thought about the man and hoped that he was at least kind.

For the second time in less than twenty-four hours, Arizona fell asleep thinking of a pair of deep brown eyes.

Arizona jerked awake suddenly out of a deep sleep. She looked around, wondering why she awoke so suddenly. Then she heard it. Heavy breathing. She stiffened, and listened close, trying to determine where it was coming from. It was coming from her right. She very slowly and very quietly reached for the water pitcher that was on the small table on the left side of her bed. She grabbed it and swung it across her body towards where the heavy breathing was coming from. As she almost made contact, a strong hand grabbed her wrist and stopped her from hitting the figure. He put his other hand over her mouth, preventing her from screaming.

"It's just me."

Arizona relaxed immediately, and the person let her go.

"OUCH! What was that for!?" Tim rubbed his arm where his sister had punched him in the same spot as earlier.

"Timothy Robbins! What the hell is wrong with you!? Why are you sneaking into my room at the crack of dawn and breathing all creepy-like and stuff?"

"Awe, come on. The look on your face! It was so worth it!" Tim doubled over laughing.

"Ha. Ha. Ha." Arizona did not appreciate being woken up scared like that. She almost had a heart attack for Pete's sake! "But seriously. Why are you here?"

"We have to get going. We have quite the distance to travel before we get to the recruiting station we need to go to"

"Isn't there one here in town though?" Arizona's face scrunched up in confusion. Why did they have to travel so far when there was a recruiting station right in town?

"Well, seeing as you're a woman, we need to be as careful as possible. We can't risk anybody we know seeing us. Also, where we're going, I know for a fact, the recruiter is very lenient on who he lets join. So he won't be looking too closely at you and your girlish features."

She nodded. That made sense. She really needed to do this, and she would do what it takes. "Alright, just let me grab my stuff and I'll meet you downstairs."

Tim nodded and left her room. Arizona walked over to her bed and reached under the mattress where she put her new clothes. She quickly changed into the knickers and shirt, grabbed the bag she would be keeping her night shirt in. She glanced around the room, feeling like she was forgetting something important...

She gasped and jumped into action. She ran back to her bed and looked under it. Arizona reaches her arm under and grabs the long piece of cloth. If she's going to make it as a man, she's going to have to wrap up some very feminine parts. _Speaking of feminine parts..._ Arizona thought and her mind automatically snapped to Calliope, and her very feminine parts. Arizona thought of how curvy she was and her mind was dying to see what Calliope looked like under that dress...

Her thoughts were interrupted by Tim clomping into her room again.

"What's taking you so long!? We have to get going before Ma or the Colonel wakes up...and it's a long trip," He stated, slightly out of breath. Their parents knew that they would be going away today, thinking that Arizona was going to visit a friend in Boston, but they had to leave early because Arizona couldn't be seen in her men's clothes.

"Sorry...I got caught up thinking about..." She blushed, and tried to think of a good excuse for her delay. "stuff..." she finished lamely.

He stared at her for a second with narrowed eyes. Then something clicked in his brain and he smirked at her. "'stuff' doesn't happen to have to do with a Ms. Torres, does it?" He asked, already pretty sure of the answer.

Her blush deepened and she stood up quickly and darted out the door. "Are you coming or not!?" she said over her shoulder, avoiding the question.

"Uh huh" He said, shaking his head as he started to follow her.

Once they were outside, they headed over to the stables to get the horses they would be riding to Boston. It should take about half a day to get there from their home in Lancaster.

Arizona leads her horse out of the stable and prepared it for the day's travels. She was excited for the ride and getting even more excited to become a soldier. She mounts her horse, which she takes note, is _much_ easier in pants. She looks over to her brother, who had just mounted his own horse. He trots up next to her and stops.

"Are you ready?" he asks.

"As I'll ever be," she replied. She looked at her home. She knew she'd probably be back soon, but she still felt a little sad to be leaving her home. The Robbins' were by no means rich, but they were pretty well off, and there house was fairly nice. Her and her brother had their own rooms on the second floor, as well as their parents, and a guest room. Downstairs, they had a very nice kitchen, dining room, and lounge area. She grew up in this home, and she would definitely miss it. Looking away from her home, she looked back at Tim. "Let's do this."

"Oh, and here, you'll need this," he said and he smiled at her, and together they took off for Boston.

Throughout the day, the two conversed lightly, sometimes not even talking at all. They talked about the war, their father, what the war would be like and other light topics. About five hours after they left, they started to near the city. With every mile they grew closer, the more anxious Arizona became. She knew this is what she wanted...no, _needed_ to do, but she was still nervous. After another half hour, they made it into the city.

"Here we are," her brother said, coming to a stop a few blocks from the recruiting center. They slid off the horses and tied them up on the posts. "Wanna get some lunch before we sign you up?"

Arizona nodded. It was about noon, and other than some jerky they packed, they hadn't really eaten all day.

They walked down the street, and entered eatery to get some food. "I think we deserve some good eating. Want some steak? It's on me..." he trailed off, looking at his sister.

"Well I certainly won't turn down a steak! Especially if you're buying!" she laughed.

Together, the siblings sat down at the counter and ordered their meal. They talked a little more until their meals came, and then they were silent while the inhaled the food. After about an hour, they were both stuffed full and ready to leave.

Exiting the building, they walked the rest of the way to the recruiting center. There was a small line of young men, not too many today though. She and Tim went to join them in line, the butterflies in her stomach fluttering away. She was so nervous and exciting at the same time! Finally they were second in line. She watched the young gentleman in front of her sign up.

"Welcome to the Union Army son," the recruiter said, while handing the man a deep blue Union uniform. "Meet here tomorrow at noon in your uniform, so you can be assigned a station."

"Thank-you sir," the man said with a nod, and then walked away.

"Timothy Robbins! Is that you, you son of a gun!?" the recruiter shouted at Arizona's brother.

"It sure is Albert! And how are you doing today? Getting a lot of recruits are ya?" Timothy answered him.

"Sure, sure" Albert said. "We could always use some more though!"

"Well, it just so happens I can help with that." Timothy wraps his arm around Arizona's shoulders and gives her a big squeeze. "This young man here is my cousin, Aaron Robbins," he says, using the name they both agreed on.

Arizona smiled at Albert. "I would like to join the Union Army sir," She said, remembering to try and lower her voice. She also gave a small smile to the man, popping the dimples a bit.

Albert regarded her for an instant, looking back and forth between the siblings. Arizona gulped, wondering if she was already busted before she even got signed up. But her nerves disappeared when Albert broke into a huge grin. "Well, I know the Union will have a better chance with another Robbins on our side," he said, laughing at the end. "Come here sonny, and we'll get you all set."

She smiled and signed the sheet of paper, only hesitating a moment before signing under her new name. Timothy grinned at her as Albert handed over her new uniform. She was so excited. She was officially a soldier. She could fight for what she thought was right, and do it alongside her brother.

"Alright, Mr. Aaron Robbins, meet at this same place tomorrow at noon and you'll get assigned your station. And I heard through the rumor weed that it'll be your uncle here tomorrow," Albert said with a grin.

At this, Arizona's face fell, and she turned a sickly pale color. She looked to her left at her brother, seeing that he looked as bad as she felt. Their father would see them here tomorrow, and he wasn't supposed to know.

A/N 2: I do not know the recruiting process, so this is just what I imagined it would be like for the purpose of this story. No beta, so all mistakes are my own. Please read and review! Thank you much!


	3. The Colonel

Chapter 2

"_Alright, Mr. Aaron Robbins, meet at this same place tomorrow at noon and you'll get assigned your station. And I heard through the rumor weed that it'll be your uncle here tomorrow," Albert said with a grin._

_ At this, Arizona's face fell, and she turned a sickly pale color. She looked to her left at her brother, seeing that he looked as bad as she felt. Their father would see them here tomorrow, and he wasn't supposed to know._

_XXX_

Timothy was the first to recover. "Alright, thank you Albert! I'm sure I'll see you around." And with that, Tim grabbed his sister and started walking away. They walked back to where they had tied up the horses when Arizona finally found her voice.

"Tim...What are we gonna-"

"Not now. We'll talk when we get a room."

She nodded and continued on. They had to find a little inn to stay in for tonight because she had to return tomorrow. Tomorrow. Her Father. Herself dressed as a man. Her father seeing her tomorrow dressed as a man... This wasn't supposed to happen. Not only the day after had she become a soldier! _Shit. Shit shit shit._..Arizona thought. _What the hell am I gonna do!? What will The Colonel do!? Will he be angry? Will he make me go home? He can't do that...he should be happy I want to help. But what if he's not? Oh my God...I don't know what I'm going to do. Will he be mad at Tim for helping me? He can't be mad at..._

"Arizona!"

She jerked her head. She hadn't realized they had already made it to the inn. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she hadn't heard her brother say her name three times before he finally got her attention.

"Hey, it's going to be alright," He looks her in the eye and gives her a small smile. "Let's go get a room, and we'll talk it out, but it will always work out in the end. It always does."

She gives him a smile in return and nods. Tim is always so good at calming her down. It's not always what he says, but also how he says it. He just remains calm, and sometimes she feels like he gives her some of his calmness when he looks at her so sincerely.

She slides off the horse and they walk them into the stables next to the inn. After making sure the horses are set for the night, they head back to the inn. They walk inside and Tim walks over to the desk to sort out a room. When he walks back over to Arizona he holds up a key and grins.

"They had one available, but it only has one bed. So I'll take the floor tonight."

"No. You don't hav-"

"I insist," Tim gives her a look and she just shuts her mouth. "That's better. Besides, I really don't mind...Aaron..." He says with a smirk.

Arizona laughs and gives him a little shove. They go to find their room, and when they get in they drop their packs and close the door. Immediately Arizona rounds on her brother.

"Tim! What the hell are we going to do!? The Colonel can't find out! What if he makes me go home? What if he reports me? You know he's all about 'honor' and 'rules' and stuff...I wouldn't put it past him. What if he gets mad at _you_!? It's not your fault. I made you do it...well I didn't _make_ you do it...but really, who can turn me down when I show my dimples? Maybe I can just shoot The Colonel a killer smile...he always had a weakness for my smile. Him and Ma both always-"

"ZONA!" Tim shouts. "Stop rambling, you're only going to drive yourself crazy with all of these 'what ifs.' You don't know how he'll react until we see him. Maybe he won't even notice you're there if you keep your head down, but you've got to calm down. We'll deal with one bit at a time. Right now, we need to go get some dinner, and then we'll come back here so you can sleep before tomorrow. Alright?"

"Alright, alright!" she was still a little on edge, and she wasn't exactly sure what would happen tomorrow. Tim was right though; she shouldn't worry herself about something that hasn't happened yet. "You're right Tim...But don't let it go to your head," she teases, "So what was this that you said about food?"

After putting their things away, the siblings made their way to the same place they ate earlier in the day. After sitting at the counter and ordering their food, the two fall into an easy conversation. After a few minutes of silence, Arizona speaks up "We are idiots Tim."

"Why do you say that?"

"We shouldn't have made my last name Robbins! It just dawned on me that The Colonel would notice another Robbins and make a point to find who it is..."

"Oh..." Tim responds, "Yeah...that makes a lot of sense. Oops."

"Oops? That's all you got? Oops!?" Arizona smirks at him. "Well it's too late to change it now. Hopefully it'll all work out..."

"I'm sure it will," he says, and pauses like he's considering whether he should say something or not. Eventually he must decide he can. "Soooo... since you _are_ a 'man' right now, you can talk about some ladies, and I'm thinking one lady in particular. Calliope Torres?"

Arizona blushes a deep red. "What about her?" She tries to feign innocence, but her brother knows better.

"You know what Ari..._Aaron_" he says gently, knowing she still has a hard time talking about who she fancies. "Why don't you tell me about her? Why do you like her? You don't have to worry about someone hearing you. You're a strapping young man now," he says with a wink.

She gives him a smile and starts to play with her fork. "Well, the first thing I noticed was her skin tone. She's darker than me. Then I noticed her curves," Arizona blushes at this, "She is definitely all woman. Then I took in her hair. It's so dark and looks incredibly soft, and she had the most intricate braids that looked absolutely elegant on her," she sighs at the memory. "The next thing I noticed was her eyes. I could get lost in her eyes Tim," she says while looking at him, "They are such a deep, pool of chocolate-brown. They looked soft and inviting, but also fierce and passionate. I love her eyes, especially when she locked them with mine. Lastly, her smile. When she looked at me, she smiled this gigantic smile that I swear lit up the room. Everything about her was breathtaking, but the smile...I'm surprised I didn't faint," she giggles a little at this, but catches herself; she's a man. She's not supposed to giggle. "And from what little conversation we had, she seems really nice."

"Well, she's got my approval," Tim said.

Arizona gives him a sad smile. She knows he just said that to make her feel better, but it just makes her more aware of the fact that it will never happen. It's just unheard of. Two women don't belong together. It's not natural, and people don't understand it. She sighs and turns to finish her meal; they eat in silence until they are both done. After they finish, Tim pays for the meal and they head back to the inn. Once inside they get ready for bed. Tim makes his bed up on the floor and plops down, while his sister snuggled into the bed sheets.

"Goodnight sis. It'll all be okay," Tim tries to comfort his sister before falling asleep.

"Yeah...I hope you're right," she mumbles. She turns onto her side and closes her eyes. Hopefully she'll get some sleep. Tomorrow she has to face her father.

XXX

"Arizona," Tim gives his sister a small shake trying to wake her up. "Arizona, wake up. It's time to start getting ready."

Arizona starts to stir and slowly blinks open her eyes. "Morning," she mumbles. She sits up, still adjusting her eyes to the daylight coming in through the single window. "How'd you sleep?"

"Alright, I guess. The floor wasn't very comfortable, but I was exhausted so I managed to get _some_ shut-eye."

"Hey! I offered to take the floor!" Arizona exclaimed. She stuck her tongue out at him. He laughed and grabbed his bag to get dressed. Arizona got out of bed and went over to her bag to start getting dressed. "Am I supposed to wear the uniform, or just my regular clothes?" she asked her brother.

"Um, the uniform," He says, getting his own out. They both put on the blue uniform of the Union Army and turn to look at each other. It really looks like they could be twins, especially when they're dressed in the same outfit. "You're looking awfully sharp there Aaron," He says with a smirk.

She laughs. "So do you, handsome."

"Alrighty, ready to go?"

Arizona takes in a deep breath and lets it go in a huff. "Yeah. Let's get this over with. Soon enough we'll find out exactly what The Colonel thinks.

XXX

"O'Leary, David."

"Here," a voice shouts out from the crowd.

"Olivers, Jonathan."

"Here," another bellowed

"Patson, Christopher."

"Here."

"Peterson, Pete."

"Here!"

"Raymond, Harold."

"Present."

"Robbins," Colonel Daniel Robbins pauses after reading that name. He looks up from the sheet of paper and finishes "Aaron?" He keeps his eyes up, wanting to see who exactly Aaron Robbins is.

"Here!" A voice yells from the far right corner. His eyes follow where the voice came from and spotted a bit of blond hair and a flash of blue eyes before the young man looked down. He narrowed his eyes for a second before looking back at the roll call list.

"Ruthers, Jonathon." He continued taking attendance until everyone was accounted for. He would constantly glance to the corner, keeping an eye on the young soldier, making sure he was still there. Colonel Robbins had a sneaking suspicion of exactly who 'Aaron Robbins' was, and he would not be happy if he was correct.

"Okay gentlemen. Listen up and I'll tell you what's to happen next and then you'll be released for the day," Daniel Robbins said to the group of young soldiers before him. "First, before you can partake in the war you must go to training. It is very basic and will only be for a few weeks, but it is vital that if we are to win this war, that you fine young men know how to use the weapons. Second, enjoy your privacy while it lasts." He glanced at the blond in the corner as he said this part. "You will be sharing a rather small tent with a few other men in a very crowded camp. You will forget the meaning of personal space and modesty won't be a word in your vocabulary."

The Colonel continued to lecture the soldiers, telling them of what is to come and trying to prepare them as best he can. War was not some game; it was serious and very deadly. In this case, they were fighting against brothers, people of the same country. This was not going to be easy, and many would not make it, and even more would be injured beyond repair. However, while he was speaking to the crowd, he managed to keep calm; letting them know that this was going to be difficult, but without scaring them away. The Union needed these soldiers. As he wrapped up his speech, he glanced once more at the blond.

"...and you will all be remembered in history as the men that gave everything to help keep this country one!" He finished. There was applause at the end and the men started to head towards the exit. "Aaron Robbins! If I could see you for a minute?" He shouted over the crowd. He watched as the young man, who almost made it to the exit, froze.

XXX

Arizona froze when she heard her father call her by her fake name. She had been _so close_ to getting through the exit. She slowly turned around, keeping her head down and started walking to her father. As she moved through the crowd, she started to think of excuses and reasons to give her father for what she was doing here. _Maybe I could say I was just here to see him and they wouldn't let me in because I was a woman? No...That doesn't explain the uniform...Unless I say Tim let me borrow his. That makes some sense. Maybe he'd buy that. I doubt it though; this _is_ The Colonel we're talking about here._ She made it to the front of the room and looked up at the man. Once she made eye contact, she knew she was in trouble. She gave him an innocent smile, hoping that he would go easy on his most favorite daughter. Sure, she was his _only_ daughter, but she was still a daddy's girl and it didn't hurt to try. However, The Colonel didn't seem to care as he narrowed his eyes at her and pointed at the chair, indicating that she should sit. She could tell he was waiting for the room to empty; probably so he could yell at her without drawing too much attention towards them.

Arizona watched as the last man left the room. She inhaled deeply and held it for a moment before letting it out. This was _not _going to be pretty.

"Arizona Robbins! What the HELL are you doing here!? And dressed as a soldier!" He hollered at her. She cringed a bit at that. _Yup, this was not going to be pleasant_. "How were you even able to do this?" He stared at her, and when she didn't say anything he began again, "It was Tim, wasn't it? I knew it. He helped you. Do you honestly think you could have gotten away with this? Not only is this putting you into physical danger, but how do you expect to keep up being a man when you'll have next to no privacy? The soldiers will be able to sniff out a woman in minutes when they haven't been able to interact with any for so long. Not to mention what they might do to you if they _did_ find out you were a young woman!" He was red in the face, and Arizona was holding back tears. At this her father's expression softened. "Arizona, I just don't understand why you would be so careless and do this. What would we do if we lost you? What would your mother do? It's bad enough that Tim and I are involved in the war, but you as well?" As he went on, his voice got softer, especially as he talked of possibly losing her to this war.

Arizona gulped, and tried to hold in her tears. She couldn't stand it when her father yelled at her, especially when he sounded so worried about her. Though, despite her father shouting at her, and his possible disappointment in her, she was determined. She loved this country and she'd be damned if she didn't help keep it united! She would have to suck it up and show her father how capable she was for this, and that she was as good as any man. She stood up, facing her father and braced herself as she started talking.

"I am going to fight in this war and help keep this country together. I grew up watching you. I watched as you put this country above all else. At first, I couldn't understand because it seemed you even put this country above us. Above your family. But as I grew older, I realized that you loved this country so much because of what it does for us. You don't love this country _more_ than your family, but you treasure it so much because of what it _gives _your family. It gives us and any other families a chance. We have freedom. Freedom to grow and do as we want. This country _is _family. And now we're fighting and we may never be one again. I want to fight for us too. I want to help keep us together, so that this great nation can continue as one. I love the United States of America like you taught us to. You and Tim get to help, and I want to too. This is as much my country as yours, and I can't fight for it just because I'm a woman? That's unreasonable, and the way I see it, the Union needs all the help it can get, no matter who it's from." Arizona is breathing heavily, a little winded (and shocked) from her long speech. By the looks of it, her father seems just as surprised. "If you let me do this, I know I can make you and this country proud. Just give me the chance to prove it."

He continued to stare at her. Could he really blame her for wanting to be soldier? It was his fault he preached to the family how important U.S. was, and that it was one of the most honorable things to be able to fight for your country. How could he be mad that she was trying to be the good man in a storm that he taught her to be? The Colonel frowned as he watched his daughter, still out of breath from talking and nerves from telling him off.

"I will let you continue being a soldier." The Colonel said. Arizona let out a big breath she hadn't realized she was holding until she heard those words come from her father's mouth. _Had she misheard? Did he really say she could be a soldier? She had to have been wrong..._ "However," he continued, "there are a few conditions." Arizona nodded at him, smile on her face.

"I will be overseeing where you are and what you're going to be doing. Once you're through with training, you will also be put with Timothy, so that he can watch over you as well. I can't promise you that you'll see any action; I don't think I can allow that, but you will be helping the effort. Honestly, I don't approve of this. I think that you should stay home with your mother doing womanly things, like getting a husband and cooking." He grimaces at this, Arizona couldn't cook worth anything though his wife tried a thousand times to teach her. "But I realize this is mostly my fault for raising you so. I just didn't realize you would be paying such close attention." He smiled at her. "Now, go find your brother, and be ready for your training in a week. Like I said earlier, enjoy your space while you can. It's going to be extra difficult for you if you wish to continue on with this charade."

Arizona couldn't help it. She squealed and jumped into her father's arms. She hugged him tight, with dimples full force on her face. She kissed him on his cheek and whispered in his ear, "Thank you daddy. I promise I'll make you proud. I love you."

The Colonel hugged her back and patted her back. "I know you will. I love you too. Now go out there and show us all what you're made of."

She smiled at him one last time before she turned to go find Tim. She knew this wasn't going to be easy. In fact, it would probably be the hardest thing she'll ever do. But she was resolute in her goal, and now that she had her father's blessing, she was sure there wasn't anything she couldn't do.

**A/N: Sorry it's been so long, lots of stuff going on. I just want to say that no matter how long between posts, I will finish this story. I read a lot of fanfiction too, and I know it's annoying when stories are left unfinished.**

**Again, I know this is not very historically accurate, and I apologize. Since this is AU, this can be how things work in _this_ universe I suppose...**

**Would love some feed back, and I hope you like it! **

**(I don't own Grey's Anatomy or any of the characters from the show.)**


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